Crossed Roads
by RainFlame
Summary: Time is a tricky thing, as Squall soon comes to find out. Sequel to From the Inside. Rated T for violence, just to be safe. Squinoa pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Hello to all! This is a bit of a sequel to _From the Inside_, but you don't need to have read it to understand what's going on, as far as I know. If you haven't read _From the Inside_ and there's something you don't understand, feel free to message or review with your question and I'll try to answer it to the best of my ability.

On with the fic XD

**Disclaimer:**This is a disclaimer for the whole fic. I don't own Final Fantasy. Bummer.

**Note:** _Italics_ represent the past.

* * *

Time travel was an odd thing, as Squall was quickly coming to find out. It was like a vast sea, pushing and pulling, moving and sifting. Dimensions passed by like windows in a hallway, showing the way things were and could have been. If one wasn't careful, it was easy to tread down the wrong path, into a new place, a world that was and wasn't his own.

He was there, then he wasn't. He was whole, then he was fragmented. His being was changing, almost imperceptibly, as he plummeted through time. It was so absurd, how one mistake could cause this. Perhaps it was when Irvine's gun backfired in the practice room, or when Selphie screamed, or when the monster dove for them, teeth flashing and blood dripping from its scaled lips. A break in concentration was all it took.

Squall was also learning how tricky magic really was. Not the simple spells that were drawn from the earth, but real magic. The kind beyond his understanding. What did he know of sorcery? He was only a Knight, capable of touching the elements and the basics of the environment around him. His Time spells were fleeting and weak, sometimes completely ineffective.

This was something else entirely, something large and powerful and frightening. That a human could hold this much power was hard to comprehend.

That his Rinoa held this much power was unthinkable.

* * *

_It was a basic training operation. Squall wasn't really in the mood for it, but it was necessary for all SeeD teams to undergo a training session once a week unless out in the field. Even the Commander of Garden himself._

_So there he was, trudging through the thick foliage of the practice room. It was muggy inside, and all they had battled with so far were grats._

"_How long do we have to be here?" Zell whined a distance behind him._

_Rinoa giggled at Squall's side, but said nothing. She, as usual, was handling this a lot better than he was._

"_Another hour," Quistis announced. "Unless we kill something substantial." Squall suppressed a groan. This was ridiculous. He'd have to do something about that rule…_

"_What, exactly, constitutes 'substantial'?" Selphie wanted to know._

"_Bigger than grats," Irvine informed unhelpfully._

"_That's it? We kill one of those bug things and we get to leave?"_

"_I think the total weight of all kills has to be five hundred pounds," Quistis said._

_Who came up with that number? Cid? He could be such an idiot. Squall wouldn't put it past him._

"_How are we supposed to know that?" Zell demanded, his voice cross. _

"_Let's split up," Squall suggested suddenly, stopping in the path they had been treading and turning around to survey his team._

"_Why?" Rinoa asked, cocking her head to the side. Her raven hair spilled down her shoulder, shining in the light. He wanted to brush it aside for her._

_Squall tried to ignore that desire. "We'll cover more ground and kill more monsters if we split up," he explained. "We'll get out of here faster."_

"_Good idea," Irvine agreed. Like Squall needed his approval. He was the Commander of _Balamb Garden_._

"_Quistis, take Zell and Selphie. I'll take Irvine and Rinoa. Meet us back at the entrance at thirteen hundred hours."_

_Quistis nodded, turning and entering the thick brush. Zell and Selphie followed and the three soon disappeared from sight._

_Squall scanned the area before leading his team on. He was more than eager to get this inane hunt over with and get back to the pile of paper work that was slowly overtaking his desk._

_They spent the next thirty minutes making a sizable dent in the grat population, but nothing much bigger reared its ugly head. Frustrated and annoyed, Squall ordered his team back to the entrance._

_That's when he heard a high pitched scream._

_Adrenaline poured through his veins as he ran, Rinoa and Irvine on his heels. That was Selphie. Crashing and a guttural roar soon split the air, making Squall run harder. That was a T-Rexaur. A whip cracked._

_Squall finally broke through the brush,_Lionheart_ brandished before him and a snarl of his own on his lips._

_The beast before them was a fully grown reptile, standing several stories tall. It's scaled skin and long teeth glistened in the light and its talons were coated in fresh blood. Squall didn't know if it came from the carcass of the dead monster on the ground or from one of his team, and the possibility made his blood boil._

_The beast turned away from Zell, Selphie and Quistis just in time to meet Squall's sword. Squall dragged the blade over the creature's snout, drawing a thin stream of blood and causing it to cry out with pain. Squall took that moment to survey his team. Quistis was panting and holding a blood-soaked shoulder, but she was standing. Zell was casting a Blizzaga spell, and Selphie was readying her nun chucks. Irvine would be about to fire a shot._

_Rinoa already had a Time spell going. He could tell without looking. He knew the feeling of her mind touching his to borrow the spell, and the way her thoughts could shift and use the magicks in the air, drawing strength from the life around her. _

_He heard the report of Irvine's gun, but the scream that followed didn't come from the monster before him. It was a terrible cry Squall had not ever heard before from the cowboy. His head jerked around in surprise as he witnessed a thick, black cloud of gunpowder and debris backfire into his friend's face._

_Behind him, Rinoa screamed._

_His world shattered and froze. The color seemed to bleed out from the fragments, making everything look pale and fuzzy. His vision tipped, then dimmed, and he couldn't feel his body any more. He couldn't see anything._

* * *

Squall knew he had stopped somewhere. He felt his body again, resting on something hard. He wanted desperately to wake up, to see where he was, but he couldn't even open his eyes.

His mind drifted.

* * *

And there's chapter one.

Updates are going to be a little difficult to get up for a few weeks (play practice can be such a pain XP) but thing's should smooth out soon, and they'll come about every week or two. Give or take.

As always, reviews are welcome. Especially those containing constructive criticism, ideas and complements ;) Have a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	2. Chapter 2

Horray for chapter two XD

**Kurosukai:** That's right ^-^ Thanks for editing :)

**KazeRose:** Thanks!

**Thatotherguy:** Why thank you.

* * *

Squall felt sick.

That was really the first thing he noticed. His head ached tremendously while his stomach was doing somersaults. He wanted to go back to sleep.

Memories came back to him in a rush; the practice room, the T-Rexaur, Irvine's cry, Rinoa's scream…

Where was he now? And where was his team?

He strained his ears to listen. He could hear the low hum of machinery, and that vast, empty sound associated with enormous, vacant metal rooms. No breathing, no footsteps. He could only conclude that, for the moment, he was alone.

With a small groan, he forced his eyelids open. He couldn't see anything. He blinked and lifted a heavy hand to his face to check for anything covering his eyes. Nothing.

His lip lifted in a silent, frustrated snarl. With no small effort, he sat up. Something large slipped off of his chest and clattered on the floor before he could grab it, shattering the silence.

Squall froze, listening. When he heard nothing else, he bent down to retrieve the object. His hand found the familiar blade of his _Lionheart_. He picked it up carefully and held it in a single hand while he got to his feet. His head spun and he had to wait a bit while his inner ear worked to orient itself.

Finally able to move, he took a few tentative steps forward. He had to find a wall to follow. Walls generally meant doors, and he needed to get out of here.

After a few yards of smooth terrain, he gained confidence and his pace increased. He had to be close to a wall by now. Certainly a few more steps would bring him to his-

He tripped.

The Commander fell hard, his arms flying out to both cushion him and prevent him from impaling himself on his blade. He hit the ground and rolled to the side, then back on his feet in a smooth motion developed from years of being tripped without warning. He glared into the dark in the general direction of whatever object had caused him to fall, then turned and continued on.

There was a squeak of a heavy door opening and brilliant light poured into the room, blinding Squall. He could hear labored breathing and the scuffle of shoes, then the door slammed shut, plunging the room into darkness again, or so he assumed. He was seeing nothing but white spots.

His eyes adjusted and the breathing still continued. Someone was in the room with him, not too far away.

Squall stalked forward on silent feet, intending to sneak up on whoever was there, hold them at knife point and demand to know their whereabouts.

Then he paused to debate the intelligence of his plan. Maybe a simple greeting and a question would do.

He had been a soldier too long.

He followed the panting, sure that the individual was just a few feet away. What, exactly, was he supposed to say?

"Hello?"

A blood curdling scream ripped from the stranger's throat, making Squall take an involuntary step back. There was a thump as the person fell, and Squall could clearly see two glowing violet eyes staring back at him in the darkness, wide with fear.

_Glowing?_ Why was that familiar?

The breathing eased up a bit. "Don't _scare_ me like that!" the man gasped. The pair of eyes rose to where it was obvious he was standing. "What are you doing in here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Squall retorted. Who goes prowling around dark rooms? Himself excluded. He had a legitimate, albeit illogical, reason for being here.

"I am in hiding," the man said matter-of-factly. "Contrary to popular belief, enraged women can, in fact, run in heels." The eyes squinted in his direction. "I've never seen you around before. What unit are you from?"

Seen him? He could see in this blackness? "Unit?"

"Yeah. It's obvious you haven't had your treatments yet, so you're just an MP. What unit?"

"I'm not from any unit."

The eyes widened a bit. "You're just an employee? Dressed like _that_?"

So he could see very well in the dark.

He must have seen Squall's frown. "Don't get me wrong, it's very…stylish and…unique," he faltered.

Squall arched an eyebrow.

"Ahem, so, what are _you_ hiding from?"

"I'm not hiding," Squall protested before his mind caught up to the situation. What answer could he give? "I'm…lost."

The eyes tilted back as the man let loose a laugh. "Hah! So you look for a way out in a _storage room_?"

Squall glared. "Something like that. Where are we?" His voice held threats.

"Forty-third floor, storage room."

"Forty-third floor of what?" Squall asked.

He laughed again, but it soon died in the awkward pause Squall provided. "You're…serious? You don't know where you are?"

"Would I ask if I knew?"

The man's eyes twitched to the side, then back. "Are you, like, an amnesiac or something?"

_Are you, like, an idiot or something?_ "No. I'm not from around here."

"So you picked the Shinra building to hide in?"

"I'm _not_ hiding!" Squall growled. _Shinra…why did that ring a bell?_

"Alright, alright!" the other man said. "Well, we'll wait here for a bit, then I'll take you up stairs and we'll see if we can get this sorted out. Pull out some maps or something."

Something in Squall's gut told him that that really wasn't going to help.

"So, what's your name?"

"Squall."

One of the man's eyes squinted. "Zack Fair."

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter. Hopefully things will get better later, when I have more time.

Reviews are appreciated! I'd love to hear any ideas or comments you have. Thanks for reading!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Well, I finally got this chapter written. I love it how I have some serious time constraints for the next few weeks and I start three fics at once. Genius of me.

**rebirth-flame:** Lol glad you're enjoying it. If you like horror, you may want to check out the other fic I started (Arctic Night). With luck, it'll be a horror-ish XD But, anyways, the next couple of chapters should clear up the plot. If it doesn't, let me know...

**KazeRose:** Lol you're absolutely right ^-^ They're not going to be good friends. At first, anyways XD

**Kurosukai:** Haha no. He just thought Squall had a funny name. If you will remember, when you first showed it to me, I myself mocked it. I now know better :)

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** Lol, yes, I have. I haven't completely decided if everyone is there yet. We shall see how these things unfold ^-^

On we go!

* * *

Squall squinted against the light as Zack opened the door. It took him several seconds before he was able to see the empty corridor around him. It was obviously some kind of office building, with dark blue carpet running down the hall and florescent lighting overhead. Additional lighting spilled in from a window down the hall and from several doors that were opened on the far side of the passage.

Behind him, he heard a sigh of relief. "She's gone," he breathed.

Squall turned around to get a look at the strange man. He was muscular, with unnaturally spiky raven hair and, of course, violet eyes. He wore a strange purple uniform with military boots and no obvious armor.

What was stranger, though, was the pang of familiarity Squall felt at the sight of him. Squall was certain he had never seen this man in his life.

"Don't look at me like that," Zack scowled. "That woman is scary. If you knew her, you'd run too."

"Where can I find a world map?" Squall asked impatiently. He didn't have time or energy to expend on this man.

"Come with me," he grinned, stepping past Squall.

With an inaudible sigh, Squall followed.

"So, how did you get up this high into the Shinra building without an access card?" Zack asked conversationally. There wasn't any suspicion in his voice, like Squall might expect. Just curiosity.

"I don't know."

Zack turned his head to look at him before drawing to his side. "What, exactly, do you remember?"

He wasn't sure how to answer. What could he tell him? He didn't even know what had happened himself, really.

"Nothing. I just remember waking up in there about twenty minutes ago," he answered.

The brunet was starting to look alarmed. "Do you know where you're from? Family? Anything?"

"I'm from Balamb Garden," he responded, forcing certainty into his voice. He looked to Zack for a reaction.

"Balamb Garden?" Zack tried out the name and Squall's heart sank. He had said it like it was a foreign word, completely alien to him. "I've never heard of it. That's a town, I'm assuming?"

"Yes." What could he do? If he wasn't in his own time period, how was he supposed to get back?

"Uh, what are your parents' names?" Zack asked, stopping and pushing a button for an elevator.

Squall hesitated before answering. "Rain and Laguna Loire." The names tasted bitter in his mouth, but both for very different reasons.

"Haven't heard of them, either. I guess we can run their names through the database and see what we come up with. Are you sure your last name's Leonhart, and theirs is Loire?"

Squall gave him a withering look. "Yes."

The brunet shrank back a bit. "Right. Just making sure. You never know…"

A thick silence fell between the two as they boarded the vacant elevator. Squall didn't mind it, but Zack fidgeted at his side, dancing from foot to foot. Beneath his own feet, the elevator shifted minutely in response. The vibrations were starting to get on his nerves.

"Stop it," he snapped.

Zack froze where he was, balanced on one foot, a surprised look on his face. He gingerly placed his foot back on the ground and shuffled subtly to the other side of the elevator.

Squall sighed quietly to himself and lowered his eyes to inspect the panel on the elevator's wall. What building needed this many floors to run its business? SeeD managed on only three. He was curious as to what kind of a place Shinra was, but to find out, he'd have to ask Zack. And that would get him _talking_ again. Squall would settle with his ignorance for now.

The blissful silence was too good to last forever. Or even a full minute.

"What kind of a weapon is that?" Zack asked, pointing to the blade at Squall's hip.

"It's a gunblade."

"Oooh! Neat! So, you can shoot people _and_ slice them?" The eagerness was what you might expect from a child.

"No. It doesn't actually shoot. It just sends a shock wave into the enemy upon impact to maximize damage."

"Nifty," Zack said, regarding the weapon with approval. "Do you remember where you got it? I'd love to get my hands on something like that!"

Squall wouldn't trust this man with scissors. "No."

"Oh." Obviously deflated, he moved on to other topics. "Have you thought about where you're going to stay if we can't find any relatives or anything?"

Would this ride ever end? "No."

"You might be able to stay at Sephy's place, or maybe Angeal's. The higher ups don't really have to go by the rules. I'd let you stay with me, but we can't really do that in the barracks."

Thank heavens. "I'll find a hotel or something," Squall responded, hoping the dismissive tone of his voice would silence Zack.

As if. "Do you have money?"

The realization made Squall freeze. He didn't have any money. Why would he bring his wallet to a routine exercise in Garden's practice room? Of course, now he could think of a few reasons.

"I figure out something," he said slowly, his mind running over possibilities.

Finally, the elevator issued a high "ding", signaling its arrival. The doors slid open and Squall followed Zack out and onto a floor with people bustling around. They all had the same, strange uniforms on, varying only slightly in color, and several had weapons mounted at their sides or on their backs. Squall put a hand on _Lionheart_'s hilt.

Zack turned down a hallway, waving to people and offering greetings to just about everyone they passed. Squall himself received many stares and sidelong glances. The others here were just as wary of him as he was of them. Good.

Finally, Zack stopped before a door, knocked sharply, then entered without waiting for a reply. He steered past the vacant secretary's desk and into a side office, throwing the door open with abandon.

"Hey, Seph!" he greeted the man at the desk.

Squall froze. His chest tightened and his pulse spiked as two, frozen green eyes stared past Zack and right at him.

Sephiroth.

* * *

I'm so glad you all seem to be enjoying this fic so far! It's a good incentive to write XD

Let me know if you have questions, comments, or ideas ;) And please review!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! I apologize for this update taking so long. I developed a sudden obsession with Fullmetal Alchemist and had to watch all of the episodes and the movie *bows head in shame*. But I am back, and we shall continue forward!

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** Lol I hope it'll be interesting. I'm glad you're enjoying it ^-^

**KazeRose:** So, I was reading your review in class and started laughing XD Your inside joke reminded me of one Kurosukai and I shared about mostly the same thing. We totally had a fight over who got to marry Squall XD Thanks for the review :)

**Thatotherguy:** Soooo impatient.

**rebirth-flame:** Haha well, if you're looking for some Squall-completely-despising-Genesis, there shall be plenty to come ;)

**jibril:** Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoy :D

On we go...

_

* * *

Sephiroth_.

So many emotions clamored for Squall's attention it was difficult for him to think. The hatred, the anger, the pain, the despair…everything that was evil, staring at him with those infuriating green eyes.

Squall had _Lionheart_ in his hands before conscious thought caught up to him. He was ready to rid the world of the terror once again, to destroy this entity of evil.

"Hey!" Zack yelped from his side, making to grab the weapon. Squall was already past him, though, dodging the office furniture and raising his sword, ready to drive it home.

Faster than Squall could blink, the silver haired man moved into a spin. When he came back around, he had a long sword in his hands. He brought the blade up and blocked the attack with ease, arching a silver eyebrow in question. He almost looked bored. "I buy you lunch, and this is how you repay me? You bring me an assassin?" he asked, the question obviously directed at Zack.

Squall barely contained his snarl. He pulled the blade back and redirected his blow, going for Sephiroth's middle. That too was deflected.

"Squall! What are you doing?!" Zack demanded, stepping from side to side as if confused.

"What, exactly, can I do for you today, Squall?" Sephiroth asked, his voice the height of calm as he blocked another swing.

That startled Squall, the calmness. There wasn't even a twinge of insanity. Not in his voice, and not in his eyes. Could this actually be someone else? Could this man not be Sephiroth? Or at least not the one he knew?

With great care, Squall lowered his weapon, but never let his eyes waver from those frosted pools of green. "I'm sorry. I think I mistook you for someone else," Squall admitted slowly.

Sephiroth cocked the delicate eyebrow again, though he was careful to keep his sword in hand. "Well, have a seat," Sephiroth gestured to the pair of chairs in front of his desk.

"Don't mind if I do," Zack chirped, his excitement seemingly forgotten. He dropped into one of the padded seats and propped his boots on Sephiroth's desk.

"Feet down," Sephiroth ordered coldly, the tone making Squall jump a bit as Zack hastened to comply. That tone he knew. But Sephiroth showed no signs of aggression, so Squall allowed himself to sit down, _Lionheart_ lying across his lap.

Sephiroth settled himself into his own seat, then steepled his fingers and leaned forward. "Now, what is this about?"

"Well," Zack began before Squall could get a word in edgewise, "I was down in one of the lobbies, talking to this hot chick, when she got real mad for some reason. She chased me all the way to the other side of the building-"

"Flirting with a married woman again?"

Zack turned slightly as Squall did to regard the man that had just entered Sephiroth's office. He was tall and muscular, with black hair and a strong chin. He wore the same strange suit Zack did, except in black, and clutched a file in one of his large hands. He strode forward and set the file before Sephiroth. "Genesis will be along shortly to deliver his report," the man said in a low voice.

"No, I was not flirting with a married woman," Zack said indignantly. "She just assumed I was. I'm taken, you know."

The man smirked. "That's never stopped you before." His eyes fell to where Squall was sitting and he reached out a hand. "Angeal Hewley," he introduced himself.

Squall looked at his hand reflexively, then took it and gave a firm shake. "Squall Leonhart."

"Did I interrupt something important?" he asked Sephiroth.

"I'm not sure," he responded. "Continue, Zack."

"Well, like I was saying, this woman chased me and I took cover in the storage room. Then Squall popped up out of nowhere. He says he has no idea where he came from or how he got here."

Three pairs of eyes shifted to rest on him. Squall frowned at their scrutiny. "Just get me out of this building and I'll be out of your way."

"Now what kind of people would we be if we did that?" Angeal exclaimed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "We'll at least give you some place to stay the night, and maybe a direction to send you."

"Find a stray?" a smooth voice purred from the doorway.

The group turned again to regard the new man. He seemed to be the complete opposite of Angeal. Instead of a strong structure, he looked delicate, almost feminine. Instead of black hair and dress, he sported red hair and a flamboyant scarlet cape over his darker clothing.

To Squall, he had a snakelike look about him. The commander took an immediate dislike to him.

"Hey, Genesis," Zack greeted as the man stepped forward to give Sephiroth another file.

"Hello, puppy," the man returned, forcing a certain amount of disdain into the name, but Zack didn't seem to notice. "May I ask your name?" Genesis questioned Squall.

Squall introduced himself, but the red head didn't offer a hand or his name in return. "So, you're lost?" he asked.

Zack immediately launched into his tale again for Genesis' benefit before Squall could formulate a response.

"Fascinating," Genesis murmured. "Have you taken him to Hojo? I'm sure he'll be interested to know of this."

"No," Sephiroth said, too quick to be casual disagreement. He covered somewhat by adding, "We haven't. And we won't. This is none of Hojo's business."

"Then where are we to take your stray?" he asked, his icy blue eyes tinged with warped amusement.

"He can stay with me tonight," Sephiroth offered. "If he has no objections, that is." He looked to the commander pointedly.

Squall had objections, alright. Many of them. But none of them he was free to voice, so he settled for a small shake of his head.

Sephiroth nodded. "Very well. Angeal, take him to the data room. See if you can find anything. I'm leaving at six, so be back by then."

Angeal threw the man a sloppy salute and looked to Squall expectantly. Squall rose from his seat and followed him out the door with Zack in tow, sparing one last glance over his shoulder at Sephiroth and the uncanny man beside him.

* * *

Ooooh. Genesis is acting like a creeper. This can only mean trouble for poor Squall XD

Alrighty, I'll admit it, I don't have that good of a method for bringing Squall back to his own time, when that does occur. I have an idea, but I'm not a big fan of it...If you have any ideas, please PM me and share!

Thanks for reading! As always, I'd love a review from you. Have a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Sorry about the wait on this one. I wanted to finish part 1 of Arctic Night before picking this one back up. Things have gotten crazy recently.

**jibril:** Sorry again for the wait! And Hojo is making an appearance in this chapter :D

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** I agree. I'm not much of a Genisis fan, myself. Good thing he's the bad guy here XD Sorry about the cliffy in AN. I hope you will forgive me :) But I myself may not be able to wait long to start on the next part XD

**Thatotherguy:** Or a few months ^-^

**KazeRose:** Lol you're right. Disturbing...and poor poor Squall. Good thing he has self control XD Sorry for the AN cliffy. I'll probably start on the next part soon, so you can hold off on killing me XD

**rebirth-flame:** I agree. Sephiroth is the hottest villian XD And I can gaurentee that there will be female(s) in the story. Predominately Aeris :D I am quite the Zerith fan, after all. And thank you for your kind words :) I don't plan on leaving this one hanging.

**expo314:** Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Crisis Core is an excellent game, too, btw XD Thank you for your kind words :) Hope you enjoy.

On we go...

* * *

Squall couldn't truthfully say he was thrilled at spending the evening with Sephiroth. He had too many bad memories associated with the man. He was, however, thankful to be away from Zack for a bit.

The search at the map room had revealed two things. The first, that he was somehow not in the same world he knew. The second, he had nowhere to go. No options, no destination, nothing. His militaristic mind did not like that. He always did better when there was a goal he could aspire to, but he wasn't even sure where he was. If Sephiroth was there, maybe it was the past, or it could be some parallel universe. He had heard Quistis discussing such things before.

Then again, Rinoa had casted a time spell before any of this had happened.

So, the past, then.

Now, how to get back?

"I hope you're not plotting ways to kill me in my sleep."

Squall casted Sephiroth a sideways glance out of the corner of his eye. The silver haired man drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other propping his head up on the seat's armrest.

"I'm not," Squall assured, glancing out the window at the massive city that seemed to grow out of the darkness around him. Midgar was nothing like Squall was used to. It was like Esthar, he supposed, but without the bright colors and happy people. Everyone here seemed to be busy and bustling through the gray streets in the shadows of the buildings that rose around them, eager to get somewhere or to do something. It was a more organized chaos than Esthar possessed, but was chaos, nonetheless.

"Zack said you didn't find anything useful in the map room," Sephiroth said as he braked for a stop sign.

"No."

"What do you plan to do, then?"

"Haven't gotten that far yet," the brunet responded.

Sephiroth turned to regard him. Squall was again surprised by the stability in his icy green eyes. "Perhaps we can talk to Reeve Tuesti. He's in charge of Urban Development, but he may have some useful information. He's very well educated in a range of fields."

Squall nodded, but knew very well such a meeting wouldn't help anything. He would have to find some kind of a mage if he hoped to have any chance of returning to his own time.

"So, tell me, where did you really come from?"

Squall frowned. "I told you. Balamb."

"No city like that exists here," Sephiroth informed calmly. "You're either delusional, in which case you should be committed, or you're not from this world. You don't strike me as the delusional type, so that leaves the latter."

"You're telling me you believe in aliens?"

"It's not beyond the line of reason that we're not the only ones in this universe, is it?" Sephiroth didn't sound too concerned about it. "So, you're some kind of alien, then?"

"No," Squall said. "I was…" How could he explain this and not sound stupid? Of course, Sephiroth brought up aliens…"I was training with my team. Someone set off a time spell and must have aimed wrong and used too much power or something. I woke up in the Shinra building. I'm probably two thousand years before my time." Yeah. Sounded stupid.

Sephiroth frowned. "A time spell did this? I was under the impression that time spells stopped time for a certain organism, not alter the time of their existence."

"The one that casted the spell was a sorceress. That might have an impact."

"A sorceress. I've never heard of such a thing actually existing."

No sorceresses? How was that possible? As far as Squall knew, sorceresses had been on the planet for ages, probably since creation. Perhaps they went by a different name or something. "Either way, she's strong in magic. I'm not sure how it happened."

Sephiroth nodded as he pulled his car into the driveway.

The house was small, but was on Shinra-owned property, as Sephiroth was quick to point out. He said it allowed privacy for some of the more well-known members of the military. Apparently Angeal and Genesis shared a larger home one street over.

The inside of the home, Squall noted, was void of almost any personal items. All was clean and orderly, decorated in earthy tones and was more spacious than Squall would have guessed from the outside.

Off on the other side of the house, a phone rang. "You can sleep on the couch," Sephiroth said. "The shower is down the hall." On that note, Sephiroth walked down said hall and turned into what Squall guessed was a study, closing the door behind him.

Squall sighed softly and seated himself on the couch. Even as early as it was, he was tired. He removed his boots and sword before stretching out on the sofa. Before he fell into a light slumber, he thought about Rinoa.

-----

Genesis leaned against a cabinet, patiently waiting for the lab assistant to show up with the doctor. In the meantime, he busied himself with browsing the many folders strewn across the countertop, most of them stamped "CONFIDENTIAL". He gazed with macabre interest at the gruesome photos and painfully detailed notes under each, his trained mind making notes of his own and storing away any information that might one day be useful. One never knew when he would need to bribe someone.

"Genesis!" a gravelly voice screeched.

With a tiny smile, the red head turned to regard the harried professor with his lab assistant scurrying beside him. "Good afternoon, Professor Hojo," he greeted coolly.

Hojo rushed past him to scoop up the folders, depositing them in the hands of his assistant. "What have I told you about reading my files?!" Hojo demanded, spittle flying from his lips.

Genesis cocked his head and brought up a hand to wipe the moisture from his cheek. "Never to do it again, I believe," he responded.

The professor pinned him with a glare, then turned to his assistant. "File those away." When the young man had left, Hojo turned back to the soldier. "What do you want?"

"Still working on your people skills, I see," Genesis remarked, crossing his arms.

"I don't have time for your small talk, Genesis," he growled. "You've either found something to give in exchange for your treatment, or you're here to try to bargain. If it's the latter, you can leave now. If it's the former, give it to me, _then_ leave."

Genesis regarded him for a moment. Hojo was an averaged size man with far more intelligence than heart. He had greasy black hair long enough for him to put back in a tail and glasses that accentuated his beady black eyes. "What if I told you I've found you a new test subject?"

Hojo's face brightened noticeably, but retained a bit of skepticism. "A new subject? I assume it's an orphan off the streets, stricken with all manner of illnesses."

Genesis chuckled. "Of course not. It's a fully grown, seemingly healthy man that appears to have some kind of amnesia."

"Healthy and grown, you say? And his physical condition?"

"Peak."

"Approximate size, weight?"

"About five eight or five nine, probably a hundred sixty or so."

"I see," Hojo mused. "And his age?"

"It's not hard to tell you're interested," Genesis informed. "Perhaps we should make the deal, then? I'll deliver him, you will find out how to cure my…disease. Do we have a bargain?"

Hojo considered for a moment. "Very well. You deliver the man and I will find out how to cure the degeneration."

Genesis smiled. "Perfect."

* * *

So, this chapter was kind of short and slightly uneventful .-. But now we have something of a plot set up :D Next chapter things begin to get especially difficult for poor Squall. Kinda makes me feel like a jerk for abusing Squall so much...oh well XD

Thanks all of you for reading! I love your feedback and your support. Thanks for waiting a while on this one :)

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	6. Chapter 6

Hey! I am sooo sorry it's taken me forever to get this up. Now I feel like I have to explain myself, since I did it last time as well. Most of it has had to do with a lack of time between classes and plays. The other part is a lack of motivation to write, so I took some down time to just read other fanfics and books, just to find a little inspiration to finish this and do the plot justice. But when I got that inspiration, it was in the form of an actual novel I want to write, so I started that and neglected this.

The good news is I'm back and I have every intention of sticking with this to the end. It will be finished, and it will be done in the year! Hope all of you wonderful people following this are still with me, and I welcome any new readers :)

**KazeRose:** Lol Squall might do that, if properly motivated XD Again, very sorry it took me so long :(

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** Hojo and Odine have always given me the creeps *shudders*. And about Squall seeing Sephiroth before he went off the deep end, that was basically the whole motivation for the sequel :D

**rebirth-flame:** You're right! It's been a while, and I do apologize, again. And again, I say I fully agree. Hojo is a creepy fella...

* * *

Squall returned with Sephiroth early in the morning and had remained seated on the couch in the General's spacious office for most of the day. Squall didn't believe there was a word to adequately express his boredom.

That is, until Zack barreled into the room like a rabid chocobo.

"SQUALL! We need to get you out of here!" he screeched, his violet eyes wide with what Squall assumed was terror.

Squall blinked while Sephiroth arched a silver eyebrow.

"Seriously!" Zack insisted, bouncing up and down. "Hojo's after him!"

Again, that name rang a bell with Squall. Nothing he could pinpoint, but still…

"Hojo?" Sephiroth asked, his voice taking on a dark tone that caught Squall's attention. So this was something to be concerned about, not just another one of Zack's antics. "What brings you to that conclusion?"

"You know that file you told me to run down to his lab? Well, I did and before I got around the corner, the phone rang. I heard him say 'Genesis', so, naturally-"

"You eaves dropped," Sephiroth deadpanned.

Zack grinned. "Naturally. So, anyways, they started talking and I figured out they were after Squall." He puffed his chest out proudly.

Sephiroth leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, like he might be getting a migraine. "That's it?" he asked slowly. "He was on the phone with Genesis, so the only likely conclusion is that they're after Squall?"

"YES! I'm serious here, Seph! Have I ever been wrong about something like this?"

"Oh, I have several examples in mind," the General assured, returning back to his paperwork with a bored expression. "Maybe that one incident when you thought Kunsel was dying of chocobo pox?"

"Hey, that was different!" Zack whined. "Even his mother was concerned!"

"Because you sent her a sympathy bouquet with a card expressing your sympathies over his impending death."

Zack thought a moment. "Well, I guess that was a little premature…and I was only a little wrong…he did have chocobo pox, though!"

"Chocobo pox isn't fatal, Zack," Sephiroth explained in a tone he probably reserved for Zack and other slow children. "And need I bring up the fiasco involving that blond cadet and a laundry basket?"

Zack actually blushed. "You don't have to bring that up! And that time was an accident!"

"I believe I've proved my point. You are, more often than not, very wrong on most subjects." Sephiroth said this all without glancing at his spluttering second in command, too busy signing papers.

Zack turned his pleading eyes to Squall. "Squall, you believe me, don't you?"

Squall arched an eyebrow. Before he could utter a syllable, though, the door flew open.

In marched two men. The man in the lead was tall, with broad shoulders, dark skin and a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose. He stood straight and stiff in his immaculate dark blue suit, giving off an air of professional efficiency.

His companion, however, was a stark contrast. He was shorter and thinner, with ivory skin, fiery red hair pulled back in a ponytail and a pair of goggles on his head. His suit looked like it had been pulled from the darkest depths of his closet. It was wrinkled, the white shirt stained and untucked underneath his open jacket, with no tie in sight.

"Yo," the redhead greeted in a drawl, glancing around absently.

"What can I help you with, Reno?" Sephiroth asked, a trace of irritation in his voice. Apparently he enjoyed interruptions almost as much as Squall did.

Reno smiled lazily, but Squall noted the grip he held on the short rod in his hands, and his slouched but balanced stance. He was ready for a fight, despite appearances. "We're here for that guy, yo," he said, pointing the rod at Squall.

"Now do you believe me?!" Zack wailed.

"Quiet," Sephiroth ordered. He leaned over his desk and steepled his fingers, gazing at Reno and the other man with intensity. "What do you need him for?"

"President's orders. Nothin' personal," he assured. "Sad to say, what Hojo wants, Hojo gets." He almost looked annoyed.

Squall narrowed his eyes. What did the president have to do with him? Or this Hojo?

A long, tense silence settled over the office, until Sephiroth finally spoke. "No."

Reno blinked, like that was the last thing he expected. "No? You're going to disobey an order from the President?"

"I have yet to receive an order from the President, and since Squall is under my authority, I will not release him to you until I receive said order."

Reno grinned, like it was somehow funny. "That's awfully gutsy, General. You're lucky you're one of the President's favorites, yo, else you'd be in Hojo's labs faster than this guy." He again gestured with his rod. "You realize, though, that it won't take me ten minutes to get that order for you, right? Maybe I could stretch it out to fifteen, depending on how impatient Tseng gets…"

Sephiroth gave a tiny smile, like something unspoken was being passed between the two. Like some verbal game they've played before. "I am aware. I suppose I will have to use my time wisely, won't I?"

Reno chuckled. "You got it, yo."

"And please try to remember to knock next time," the General said. "It would be a shame if you startled me while I was holding _Masamune_."

Again, Reno laughed. "See you in fifteen." With that, he ambled out, the other man following silently. The door closed.

Zack was at Squall's side in an instant, grabbing his hand. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Sephiroth ordered before Zack could haul the Commander from his seat and out the door. Zack froze to stare at the silver haired warrior. "Do you even have a plan of action? You're not just going to drag the poor man through the streets of Midgar until the chase has died down."

Zack seemed puzzled. "What's wrong with that plan?"

Sephiroth shook his head and rose. "We have fourteen minutes to get Squall out of the building and to safety. Zack, take him outside, through the training grounds and point him to the side exit. Come back immediately. I don't need you on camera committing treason.

"Squall, you can climb down the plate, all the way to the slums. Wait there. I'll send Zack on an errand when he returns. It'll probably take him a while to lose whoever tails him, but he'll get there. Zack, when you find him, take him someplace safe and get back here. It can't look like you're involved, understand?"

Zack saluted with flair. "Yes sir!"

Sephiroth dug a PHS out of his pocket and tossed it to Squall. "Thirteen minutes. Go."

* * *

There we go. Chapter six. I expect an adrenaline rush in the next chapter, so get hyped about that :D

Again, thanks for being patient with me. I wish you all a wonderful week.

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	7. Chapter 7

Hey! Hope you guys all had a great Easter :) For the occasion, this chapter is a bit longer than they usually come. Enjoy!

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** Hahaha I totally agree. They're very much alike XD And Squall being a bad guy for a while might be an interesting fic idea in the future...himm...*muses*. And thank you so much for the encouragement :) You're very kind.

**KazeRose:** Lol "athlete drop-dead syndrome"? XD love it. Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked it :)

* * *

Squall tried the best he could to keep up with Zack in the halls, but the fact was that the SOLDIER was simply too fast. He was being dragged around the building like a child.

"Zack!" Squall said. "Slow down!"

"We've gotta get you out of here, Squall! Hojo is, like, the spawn of Satan. And the Turks are good. We don't have time to slow down!" If anything, Zack picked up the pace.

Squall stumbled again and was about to speak again when he was suddenly pushed aside into a janitor's closet. He tripped over a mop, got his foot tangled in a bucket handle and fell in an indignant heap on the floor. "Zack! What are you doing?!" he demanded before the SOLDIER slammed the closet door, plunging him into complete darkness.

"Zack Fair?" a smooth voice asked. It belonged neither to Zack nor Sephiroth. Squall forcefully calmed his breathing from a pant to a gentle gasping.

"Hey, Tseng," Zack greeted, his voice surprisingly unflustered. Maybe Zack wasn't a total incompetent after all.

Tseng…that was the man Reno talked about. Squall could only assume it was his boss. He gingerly rose to his feet amidst the mess and leaned closer to the door.

"Looking for something?" Tseng asked, his voice now held a knowing tone.

"Just looking for a mop. Someone spilled some coffee in the rec room."

"You realize we have janitors for that, don't you?" the man inquired. He didn't sound convinced. If anything, he sounded amused.

"Yeah, but I had nothing better to do. No reason to bother Mac over this."

"Well, then," Tseng said, a smile in his voice. "Guess we'd better get that mop, hmm?"

"Right. Well, there's not one in this closet. Guess I should go check the other one."

"Run along, then. I'll double check this one for you." The door opened a crack before slamming shut again.

"That's ridiculous. I just checked it. Why don't you go check the closet down there, if you don't have anything better to do with your time?" Squall could practically hear Zack grinning. What was with these Shinra people and their games?

"Forgive me for not trusting you. You seem to overlook even that largest of details." The door started to open again. Squall readied himself, his hand on _Lionheart_. He tensed.

He heard Zack stuttering something, but the door opened anyways. Squall caught a glimpse of the brunet SOLDIER through the crack. Satisfied that he was clear, Squall pivoted back and landed a powerful kick to the door.

He heard a gasp, but didn't turn to look as he shot past the door, grabbing Zack's arm as he ran. He heard a sharp crack and felt something bump his shoulder, but didn't think anything of it as he rounded the corner.

Zack took the lead, pulling him down a hallway and into a room on the side. It was some kind of computer room, with several people in lab coats, their eyes glued to the screens before them. But Zack wasn't interested in them. He slowed to a brisk walk and kept his voice low as he spoke. "At this next door, I'll go left, you go right. Turn left at the next hall and keep going straight until you dead end. That'll take you to a service elevator. Go to the ground floor, turn left and you'll see the exit. That'll be the training grounds. Just head straight through the woods and the grassy area until you hit the end of the plate. There should be a ladder down from there. Got it?"

"Where are you going?" he asked with a frown.

Zack grinned. "I'm going to call in a favor."

Squall nodded, and winced in surprise as the movement made his head spin. They stepped through the door at the far end of the room and split.

Squall started to feel ill, but began to run again through the vacant hallway, following Zack's instructions. The elevator was against his better judgment, but climbing down sixty-plus flights of stairs in a narrow stairwell hardly seemed safe, either. Once inside, he took a moment to breath, resting his head against the cool metal wall. He noticed a twinge of discomfort on his shoulder and looked down to find blood. No wonder he was ill. He'd been shot. He grabbed the wound and applied pressure, gasping as the wound flared with pain.

Squall reached for his belt and pulled a vial of green fluid from the pouch. He uncorked it with his teeth, spit out the stopper and swallowed the High Potion. It wasn't enough to heal it, by any stretch, but it took the edge off and slowed the bleeding.

The elevator dinged as it reached its destination and the doors opened. Squall glanced around before charging out again.

A large figure stepped into his path and Squall wheeled to a halt. Rude.

"You do move fast, yo," a voice drawled from behind. Squall turned to see Reno, his strange rod still slung over his shoulder and a smirk on his face. Upon seeing his wound, however, it turned into a wince. "Ooh, Tseng got you good. Looks like it hurts, yo."

Squall didn't respond. He just panted. His shirt was soaked in blood and his vision swam. He didn't have energy to spare on words.

"Alright, yo, let's get you to the nurse, then upstairs."

A nurse sounded good. Squall staggered forward and was caught by Rude.

"Easy," the large man muttered, making a face at the blood that now stained his suit.

"I told you not to dry clean, man. Just gets dirty again," Reno smirked at his companion.

Rude didn't dignify the comment with a response. He wrapped an arm under Squall's and began leading him through the hall.

Then, there was a soft hiss. Squall almost thought his ears were just ringing, but Rude and Reno halted. "What's that, yo?" the redhead asked, peering before him.

Then, the air seemed to explode with a thick yellow gas. Squall coughed as his eyes watered and his vision was completely obscured. Reno shouted something that Squall missed and Rude grunted.

Something whipped between him and Rude, taking Squall with it. He ran hard to keep his feet under him, blinking back tears and trying to clear his lungs of the offending gas.

"Sorry, Squall. All I had were smoke grenades," a woman's voice said. It took a long few moments for his eyes to clear enough to see the blurred image of a short brunette woman wearing a dark blue suit. Another Turk? "I'm Cissnei, by the way," she smiled as she ran. "Zack's 'favor'."

Squall couldn't reply. He was focusing too hard on running. His feet felt like lead, his head was fuzzy, and his arm felt like something was trying to tear it off.

The woman pulled a green, glowing orb from her pocket and mumbled "Cure." Gentle energy stroked his wound, licking away some of the pain and lifting some of the fog from his mind.

"It's only a level one, but it'll help, if you cast it enough." She forced the orb into his hand. It felt warm, with a calm power. "Hang on to it for me," she instructed.

They shot through the door and to the outside. Squall's abused lungs coughed as he inhaled the smoggy air. He squinted through his streaming eyes and saw some kind of large obstacle course with a group of boys running through it and a drill sergeant screaming orders behind them. Past the course, however, rose a man-made forest.

"Through the trees, straight off the edge," Cissnei ordered while they ran. "I'll try to keep them busy." With a smile and a wave, she pivoted on her heel and ran back into the building.

Squall didn't waste any time running through the course, past the oblivious boys and their commander, and into the trees. Behind him, he heard the door slam open and Reno shouting at Cissnei.

Something moved in front of him and he darted into a thick patch of bushes.

A man in a uniform walked past. Probably a trainee, but Squall wasn't willing to risk it. He'd wait for a minute.

Squall could sense his pursuers bearing down on his position. He couldn't sit here for long. He didn't know the Turks' skills, but he was willing to bet they knew their way around the training grounds better than he did, and the forest wouldn't pose much of an obstacle for them.

He rose from his hiding place and ran deeper into the woods. His only hope was to get off the base and lose his pursuers somewhere in the city. Even that might not work for long, though. He was quickly coming to realize that Shinra had Turks everywhere.

So focused he was on escape that he almost careened into someone.

He scraped to a halt, his hand on the hilt of his Gunblade, but his heart almost stopped at the sight.

_Cloud?_

He looked much younger than Squall remembered, no older than sixteen, with blue eyes not yet touched by Mako and the same spiky blond hair.

The boy froze, his hands resting on some kind of machete, gazing at Squall with wariness.

Squall didn't have time for a stand-off. "Let me pass," he ordered.

He could hear the shouts behind him. They were nearing.

"You're injured," Cloud pointed out, gesturing to the deep wound in Squall's shoulder.

"It's nothing I can't take care of. Now, move."

"Yo, boss! Blood here!" Squall heard Reno calling. His anxiety heightened.

Well, if Cloud was going to stab him, he'd probably have done it by now. With a glare, Squall skirted him and took off running.

He was getting weaker, though. He felt his strength dissipating.

"Hey kid!" Reno shouted behind him. "You seen a guy come running past here?!"

Now Cloud was going to hound him out. He pushed harder. Once they were sure of his direction, they'd be on him. He was too weak to outrun anyone.

"The guy with all the blood?" Cloud asked. "He was headed for the building. He said someone was waiting for him out front."

Squall almost tripped in surprise.

"ARGH! Rude! Tseng!" he yelled. "Out front!"

Squall slowed his pace, but only marginally. There was still a chance someone was pursuing him, but he couldn't seem to continue the grueling pace he had managed thus far.

The trees thinned soon enough, revealing an open plain of coarse grass that seemed to come to a sudden halt about a hundred yards out.

Squall was completely exhausted by the time he arrived at the edge. It dropped into a dark abyss with tiny pinpricks of light; the slums. Only a thin, rusty ladder connected the two worlds. There was no way he could climb down the ladder in his state. He'd slip and fall to his death from just fatigue alone. He collapsed in a heap on the ground and panted hard.

So tired was he that he failed to hear the footfall behind him.

* * *

Oooh. Cliffy :o

If you were wondering about the plant life in Midgar (the forest, for instance) I actually have a fairly good excuse/reason for that in the next chapter or so ^-^

Leave a review, if you will. Constructive criticism helps me improve, and encouragement helps keep me motivated :)

Thanks for reading! Happy belated Easter, and have a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


	8. Chapter 8

Hey! Sorry this took so long to get up :( Between finals and other issues, it's been a rough month. But summer has arrived! Hopefully this means updates will come faster!

**KazeRose:** This late of update probably means my end is near, hmm? XD Sorry. But it's slightly longer than usual :D Just to make up for it.

**DaughterOfSorceress-Lion:** Thanks :) Sorry to keep you waiting on this so long :o Haven't heard a word from you in a while. How've you been?

**Thatotherguy:** Now you see XD

Notice: If you watch NCIS, you'll probably recognize a quote in here (slightly modified). I've heard it before, but I've forgotten where from...And in explanation for what is to come, I was just looking for some slightly more interesting reason why Cloud wouldn't be accepted into SOLDIER.

* * *

By the time Squall heard the sound of footsteps behind him, it was far too late for action. All that was left for him to do was turn and snarl, like a cornered animal. The expression died on his face, however, when he saw his pursuer.

"You looked like you could have used some help," Cloud explained himself as he stood over the wounded commander. Squall hadn't noticed before, but Cloud's voice was a lot softer than he remembered. "And you're still bleeding."

Squall didn't respond to that. "You lied to Reno."

The blond shrugged. "He won't know the difference. Unless you don't get out of here soon, that is." Cloud glanced behind Squall at the ladder and whistled. "That's quite a drop. Need some help?"

Squall shook his head. "You'll just get in trouble for going AWOL. I'll figure something out."

Cloud smirked. "Don't be ridiculous. Do you have any materia?"

"Materia?" Squall asked with a frown.

"Glowing round rocks?"

Squall pulled out the green orb Cissnei had given him. Cloud took it from him and examined it for a moment. "Hmm. Level one…too bad, but it'll do." Cloud held the orb over Squall's shoulder and murmured "Cure," just as Cissnei had done. The pain dulled again, and again the bleeding slowed. Cloud waved the stone over Squall three more times until all that remained was a dull ache and some stiffness.

"Thank you," Squall said, rotating his arm. It caught painfully at a point, but he had full range of motion. He glanced back up at the boy, genuinely curious. "Why are you helping me?"

The cadet shrugged. "I don't know. Just seems like the right thing to do."

Squall didn't argue it. "I have to get down to the slums. Zack said he'd come find me-"

"Zack?" Cloud interrupted. "Zack Fair?"

"Yes. You know him?"

Cloud broke into a smile. "You could say that. Well, let's not keep Zack waiting. I'll go down first, just in case anything goes wrong." On that note, Cloud returned Squall's materia and proceeded to mount the ladder and start his descent. Squall followed, though not as easily as Cloud had managed. "My name's Cloud Strife, by the way."

"Squall Leonhart. Where does this ladder take us?" he asked, gingerly lowering himself in Cloud's wake. Though the wound seemed to be mostly healed, Squall doubted that it would support much of his weight for very long.

"A seedy part of town. We'll have to be careful. What are the Turk's after you for, anyway?"

"Some guy named Hojo wants me," Squall said.

Cloud made a disgusted noise below him. "Hojo? Any idea why?"

"No. I don't even know how he knows I'm here."

"You have some kind of record with him or something?"

"Never met him before in my life."

Cloud paused for a moment. "Well, there's no telling what he wants you for, but it's probably not in your best interests."

"I gathered," Squall informed dryly.

They continued down the rusted ladder for a long while, the monotony interrupted only by brief conversations. Squall discovered that Cloud had been a cadet for two years now, having been denied by the SOLDIER program for the third time only last week. If he wasn't admitted next time, he was going to become a mercenary.

"A mercenary?" Squall asked. "Why's that?"

"Well, I may as well. The only thing keeping me from being admitted into SOLDIER is my physical."

Squall was surprised by that. Cloud seemed to be healthy and in prime physical condition. He almost asked, but stopped. It wasn't his business, anyway.

"It's an optical condition. Macular dystrophy. I'll probably be legally blind by before I'm thirty."

Squall almost missed the rung below him. Cloud going blind? He wasn't blind when he had inhabited Squall's body. Nor had he been blind in any of the memories Squall had seen. "Blind?" he repeated numbly. Cloud had a future as a warrior, and a hero of the planet. He couldn't go blind.

"Yeah," Cloud chuckled humorlessly. "It's not total blindness. Just in my central vision. The funny thing is, Mako can cure it, and even reverse the affects. And it's the reason I can't get in."

"Why do you keep reapplying, then?"

"Shinra has the safest Mako refining process, not to mention it's the only place I can legally get Mako treatments," he said, almost flippantly. Like he knew and accepted all of the possibilities. "If the whitecoats don't decide to give me a break…well, mercenaries don't always play by the rules," he confided with a smile in his voice.

Well, Squall supposed it was good to know that the blond hadn't always been brooding and depressed. And though he knew Cloud would be subject to all kinds of inhumane tests and experiments, his sight would be fixed.

At the same time, was the price worth it?

"I'm not an invalid, if that's what you're wondering," Cloud said, misinterpreting Squall's silence for pity. "At this point, things I focus on are a little fuzzy, and I can't recognize people by their faces very well, especially if there's nothing particularly distinguishing about them. Detail and small things are lost on me, and I'm a little color blind, I guess. It'll get a lot worse, but that's all for now. My peripheral and night vision are almost perfect."

"How do you tell people apart?" Squall finally asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.

"Mostly by voices, or the way they move."

"You don't sound too concerned about any of this," Squall pointed out. He wasn't sure why he was being so inquisitive. Maybe it was simply because he was comfortable with Cloud, even if he was younger and more open than he had been when Squall knew him. After all, there were few things more intimate than sharing a mind.

"I'll get Mako, one way or another." His tone was hard and resolved. "I won't go blind."

Squall accepted this answer. He expected nothing less of Cloud.

* * *

It took more than an hour before they reached the slums below, but Squall had noticed a change in the environment before that. The air had become more stifled and even thicker with smog. There was also an underlying stench of filth that Cloud said was unrefined Mako dust.

"Squall!"

Squall craned his neck over his good shoulder to see Zack running up below them as they descended the last twenty rungs. "That you, Cloud?"

"Yeah," the blond responded, sliding the rest of the way, but staggering when his feet hit the ground. Zack caught him before he fell.

After seeing this example, Squall was careful to ease himself onto solid ground and held on to the rusted rails as his feet accustomed themselves to the stance. His head was spinning and his arm ached relentlessly, but he was happy that he had made it in once piece. Squall glanced around the graffiti-caked alley before turning his gaze back to Zack.

"Hey! Did you get shot?" Zack demanded, running over to examine Squall's arm and the blood-soaked sleeve.

"Cloud and Cissnei took care of it," Squall said before Zack could get too close. "It'll be just fine in a few days."

Zack halted his approach, clearly taking the hint. "Alright. Well, where'd you pick up this chocobo-headed grunt?" he asked, playfully punching the shorter man in the shoulder and accidentally knocking him off balance with his SOLDIER's strength.

Cloud made a face as he regained his footing. "I saved him from the Turks."

"Really? Cloud outwitted Turks?" the brunet asked with a wide grin. "Our little Cloud's growing up!" Zack glomped the poor cadet until he allowed himself to be shoved away, though he was still grinning like an idiot.

"Get away from me," Cloud muttered, only sounding mildly annoyed. "Where are we going, anyway?" he asked as he tried to rake his spikes into submission. Squall didn't see the point.

"It's not too far. Maybe a forty-minute walk from here. You guys up to it?"

Squall glanced past him to the single opening in the alley and nodded. "Let's move out."

Zack grinned. "Right. This way."

Squall and Cloud fell into step behind Zack as the SOLDIER moved through the streets. Squall was stunned at the state of living in the slums. There were sick and wounded lying in the streets and piles of vermin-infested trash heaped up in abandoned alleys. A group of tattered but smiling children ran by, splashing dirty water that smelled strongly of Mako onto the trio.

As they moved from district to district, though, some things changed. Some were cleaner, some had more businesses, and some were plain filthy.

"Why don't these people just leave?" Cloud asked under his breath as they passed a cardboard village in one of the poorer districts Squall had seen so far. "They have nothing."

Zack chuckled. "You'll only cry about having no shoes until you meet a man with no feet," he said, looking around. "Most of these people have met people worse off than they are. They don't see themselves as poor and needy. They see themselves as blessed and most of them are thankful for what they have. It's a good lesson to learn."

Squall glanced at the brunet as he mulled over this bit of wisdom, not just a little surprised that it had come from Zack. The SOLDIER simply didn't strike him as the higher-thinking type.

"A church?"

Squall took a moment to take in the giant structure before them. It was obviously a bit run down, but at the same time, it looked like it had been fairly preserved. Most of the stained-glass windows were intact and though the paint was peeling, the walls looked stable and secure. The thick oak doors stood propped open, like they had been expected.

"Yep. Pretty, isn't it? But wait until you see what's inside. This is dull, in comparison." Zack grinned broadly as he made his way up the steps of the church, not pausing to knock as he entered the doorway and disappeared inside.

Cloud glanced up at the church's impressive architecture once more before turning to Squall. "Guess we should follow," he said, walking past Squall. With a frown, the commander followed.

The inside was what Squall supposed a typical church would look like. The room was longer than it was wide, with long wooden pews lined up along its length. The wooden floors were well worn, and some planks were damaged, or missing altogether. Large support pillars supported the building and bells could be seen straight up through the rafters.

But that wasn't the most spectacular thing about the church. Up front, sitting before the communion table and illuminated by a shaft of light from a hole in the roof, grew a garden. The boards had been removed to make way for the scores of beautiful white and yellow blossoms that stretched toward the weak sunlight.

Tending the plants was a beautiful girl wearing a white dress with blue trim, a pink bow, ugly boots and long auburn hair swept up in a ponytail. She rose and turned when she heard Zack approach and smiled when he embraced her. "Long time no see," he smiled into her hair.

She giggled. "You were here this morning, Zack."

"So I was," he said, pulling away. "You'd think I would remember. But, then again, you did hit me over the head with that nasty shovel-thingy of yours." He gave her a hurt look and rubbed his head in remembrance.

"Faker. Who are your friends?" she asked, glancing over Zack's shoulder.

Zack stepped back and wrapped an arm around her waist as he introduced them. "This is Cloud and Squall. Cloud, Squall, the most beautiful girl to ever walk the planet, Aeris."

Aeris blushed, but stepped forward and extended her hand. She probably realized that rebuking Zack was pointless. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled.

Squall took her delicate hand in his and shook it lightly. Cloud blushed heavily when it was his turn and he had Aeris' hand in his. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he said softly. Softer than usual.

"Ma'am?" Aeris laughed. "My _mother_ is ma'am. Call me Aeris."

Cloud blushed all the more, but didn't respond.

"Must be those Nebelheim manners," Zack said, stroking his chin in mock consideration. "He sure didn't learn that from me."

"Of course not. You don't do manners," Aeris said with a playful grin.

Zack smirked. "Of course not. So, if you haven't figured it out yet, I have a favor to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Squall needs a place to hide out from the blue suits until Sephiroth and I can figure out something. I'm willing to pay handsomely."

She giggled. "Handsomely?"

"Of course! In exchange for this, I'll take you on a date. And not just any date! A date to Sephiroth's house! I'll show you were Sephiroth keeps his cookie recipes. I may even swipe one for you."

Cloud elbowed Squall in the arm and leaned in close. "I don't know which one disturbs me more; that the Great General Sephiroth bakes cookies, or that Zack actually thinks this counts as a date."

"Hey!" Zack drew himself up indignantly. "Good cookie recipes are hard to find. And if Aeris wants cookies, she gets cookies!"

Cloud smirked. "You're just looking for an excuse to break into Sephiroth's house again."

"Again?" Aeris asked, turning to Zack with a sly smile. "Pray tell, Zack."

Zack grinned. "Another story for another time. How about it? You take Squall, you get cookies. Deal?"

She laughed. "Deal."

* * *

This is kind of a catch-your-breath chapter. Lots of dialog and a bit of character development. Hope it was interesting, though. Or maybe fun? Maybe?

Well, once I update The Darker Side of Light, I'll update here again. I'm predicting sometime later next week, but you can never be too sure...

Please review! It keeps me motivated and updating faster. As always, feel free to suggest anything you'd like to see, or if you find anything I need to work on. Have a great week!

God Bless,

-RainFlame


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